27 May Senate Republicans Fight for Kansas Businesses
Topeka, KS – Throughout the 2021 session, Senate Republicans have worked tirelessly to help Kansas return to normal, get people back to work, and allow our economy to fully open again.
As part of this effort, yesterday both chambers of the Kansas Legislature overwhelmingly adopted SCR 1616, a resolution urging the Kansas Governor to help Kansas businesses attract and retain the employees they desperately need — and spur further economic recovery and growth in Kansas — by withdrawing from participation in federal pandemic-related unemployment benefits programs. These programs have created an incentive for people not to work and contributed to a workforce shortage for Kansas employers.
The adoption of the resolution is on the heels of the passage of SB 273, which was designed to use a portion of federal relief dollars to help small businesses in Kansas get back on their feet by allowing them to apply for compensation if they had been shut down or restricted by government. Unfortunately, the governor – who shuttered businesses last year – chose to veto this legislation which would have provided them the opportunity to seek that needed relief.
Senate President Ty Masterson issued the following statement regarding the effort by Republicans to support business in Kansas:
“Republicans in the Senate made it a priority from day one to put Kansans first, and that meant fully re-opening our state and providing a boost to our small businesses which are the backbone of our economy. Unfortunately, the only thing standing in the way of a full economic recovery is the governor. She vetoed helping the very small businesses she closed last year and now is dragging her feet on ending our participation in a program that is incentivizing people not to work. If we’re going to get back to normal, Republicans know it’s important we stand with Kansas employers.”